Concrete pile



J. BURNS March 10, 1925- 1,529,112

CONCRETE PILE Filed July 1 1923 Joaa'pH auams INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH BURNS, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

CONCRETE FILE. i F

Application filed July 16, 1923. Serial no. 651,936.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Josicrrr BURNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county'of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Concrete Piles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to concrete piles, and more particularly to concrete piles of the kind wherein provision is made for clearing a path in advance of the pile as it is being sunk.

Piles are often provided with a central vertical channel for the passage of water under pressure, the jet of water emerging from the bottom of the pile to tear away the soil to permit the pile to sink. Sometimes lateral jets are added to supplement the bottom jet, the lateral jets of water functioning to enlarge the hole and to lubricate the pile in its descent. Such piles sink rapidly in some kinds of soils, but in others the water is absorbed so rapidly by the soil that it can perform no cutting or clearing action.

The object of my invention is the provision of a pile having a plurality of conduits through which air and water may be forced either separately or in combination, the pile being further provided with means for rotating it in its descent and with knives for loosening the soil in advance of the nose of the pile so that the action of the water or air or both will carry the loosened soil to i the top of the cavity.

Having in view this object and others which will appear in the description, I will now refer to the drawing, in which the figureshows a vertical view of the pile and of a portion of the operating mechanism, parts being shown in section and parts being broken away.

The structure herein -described and claimed is in the nature of an improvement on the concrete pile shown and described in my prior Patent #1,293,693, February 11, 1919. It is my purpose here to employ the same mechanism for rotating and for lowering the pile that I use in connection with my prior invention, and to change only the structure of the pile itself to facilitate its use in any kind of soil that may be encountered.

The mechanism which I employ in sinking the pile includes means '10 for rotating the pile, a swivel 11 for permitting rotation, and a shackle 12 whereby the pile may be suspended in vertical position while being present instance they project slight-1y beyondthe sides of the pile in order to cut a cavity which somewhat larger in diameter than the diameter of the pile.

These parts'are merely referred to;

The pile 14 is provided with a central cavity extending from end to end thereof, the lower end of the cavity being constricted to form a nozzle.

The cavity or channel may be unlined, or it maybe partly'lined as in myprior patent, or it may be lined as at 15 throughout its entire length, with its upper end projecting beyond the upper end of the'pile. inclined branch conduits 16 register at their inner. ends with openings of the central channel. The air or water which is forced under pressure through the channel passes out through the nozzle end and through the branch conduits 16, thus tearing and carrying away the soil both from the bottom of the pile and from itssides. channel is lined or partly lined, the lining is cast into the pile at the time of casting the pile. The channel being part of the pile, rotates therewith, thus giving the airor water a circular motion before it emerges. j I

Inside the central channel is a pipe or'tube 17. The pipe 17 extends from the bottom of the pile through the central channel,

Upwardly and laterally 7 If. the central thence through the swivel 11, and finally out through a T-coupling above the swivel. The pipe 17 being secured to a stationary portion of the mechanism, does not rotate with the pile. j

The inlet ends of the pipes 15 and 17, are thus above the swivel for convenient access and in proximity to each other. The pipe 15 rotates with the pile but the pipe 17 remains stationary, thus giving the operator considerable latitude in the method of applying the air or water. Insome kinds of soils'the use of water alone gives the best results. \Vith such soils the water may be forced through either pipe 15 or 17, de-

pending on whether it is desired to impart a circular motion to the water and depending also on the desirability of abottom jet alone or] of combined bottom and side jets.

In some cases it will be desirahle to 4 ioree the Watenthrougihboth pipese Some soils do not respond to theaction... of Water because they ahsorbthe. ate r so rapidlyfthat the Water is" not giventhe opportunity of'scouring either the bottom;-or

. the sides of the cavity. In some such cases air under pressure has ibeen found to rbe very effective, since the upward pressure of the a'ir i'nj the caniltyg isz-powerfiul enough f-tO dislodge) and -to (fal'llyntQ. the top, the clay,

\ sand-,- a'ndy, even large, rocks tha;t.=,m ay; be; en-.

connteredgin the descentoith pile. VWhen it,iis desired itouser;air alone, it may be .forced, through either the; pipe or. the

pipe. 17 .onthroughnboth -pip'es,-. depending on! the; character of the soils encountered-z- I-n n any;v instances Ethel use I of, Water and air, together; gives theibest results, and my pile is admirably adapted for situations-of this; kind. :EitllBLH pipe 1520B 1?. may serve as; the. Water conduit;whileythenother serves asxthefiair; conduit-k.-' Thelchoiceaof the ar rang'ement must rest. withsthe operator, and

itcdependsronfthe. character. 1013 the soils at the. time got, makin w thB-z: connectionsn In niaking,;the; choice, consideration shouldbe given the fact-that the;.pipe :17 delivers-a sing-lei non-whirling. jeti at theibott'om of the pile; whileythes pipes )15 'fdelivers .a .plurality of, .Whirli-n'g jets :at. the bottomand sides: (of the ipilea; In most. cases Where-the character of. the soil changes :at. difl'erentlevelsy: it becomes desirable that-stile .iconinections be changed, in order. to .asecu re the; :most: effectiveresults'. z r

i From the toregoing description it will: be

seen-that I "have 'designed a concrete pile whichcan be sunk in any ofagreat variety ofsoils, my pilehaving l greater latitudeflin thisTesp'ec't than-anyof the piles heretofore known. This great latitude is attained by making provision for the choice of, either Water orair o'r both-combined, and also by rovidin considerable choice in the use of direct and whirling jet's-',;,eithfer alone or in] combination The pilesat present in use areeaeh adapted fo'i -an extremely small 1'ange -of variation in soils and they are consequently useless in other soils than those for Whichtliey'are designed. My pilevvill alsoibe, found to possess marked advantages in regions having layers of soils of varying character, asifor example a layer of sand immediately underneath or above a layer of clay. In-suchsituationsit is'necessary only to change the connections-and to proceed With thesinking of the pile: without appreciablevloss of time. Itwvill also be noted. that my pileis simple in construction, and that itp'can be produced atsacost no greatenthan thatof the piles presentein After the sinking of the piletothe use. desired zdepth, the. inner pipe 17; may be reoovered tobeaused again as often as desired.

Having'described my invention in terms Which 5 will be readily. understood by others skilled in the artv to which itpertains,-. What Ifbelieve to be 1ieW-.-and desire to. secure by. LettersPatent of. the Unite-id- Statesis nels extendingilrom the central channel to the lateral surface of the :pileg -and a non- 1 rotatable pipe -within the central channel andspa'ced iiron'i the walls of: the channel and having a single outlet at the lower extremity of the pile. p

In testimony whereof I my signature;

JOSEPH BURNSJ 

